Manager stole KFC takings

A MAN tried to hide the fact he'd been skimming money from his employer by staging a fake robbery.

Peter William-John Cook, 38, had worked for KFC since he was 15 years old and as store manager for the last 10 years, but that didn't stop him trying to rip the business off.

When police attended a Mackay KFC after receiving a phone call about a robbery, officers found Cook in the cold room.

He told police he'd finished his shift on May 19 this year at 11pm and then commenced cleaning.

About 1.30am while he was cleaning the fry machine, he said the power went out, prosecutor Sheena Hayes said. Cook initially told police a young man entered the store and struck him with a metal object and put him in the cold room.

The Mackay Magistrates Court was told $8460 was missing from a safe, which had been broken into and still contained a large amount of untouched cash.

However, when Cook was later interviewed by police he admitted to officers he'd broken into the safe because he'd accidentally thrown out $10,000 and was hoping to balance the difference by skimming money from the cash tin, the court was told.

Cook said after he'd broken into the safe an unknown man entered the store and took the money.

Defence solicitor David Strutynski, of Strutynski Law, said when the power went out Cook had a "brain snap". His early plea was a true sign of remorse.

Magistrate Damien Dwyer said Cook's explanation that he just threw the money away was "implausible".

Mr Dwyer said Cook panicked when he heard an auditor was coming up and tried to cover up. "You were in a position of trust, more so than other people."

Cook, who pleaded guilty to stealing as a servant and wilful damage charges, was ordered to complete 160 hours of community service in 12 months and pay $2365.81 in restitution, which was agreed to by his former employer. No conviction was recorded.